Monday, July 11, 2016

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA24714 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Saturday, July 09, 2016 in Pittsfield, MEAircraft: MORMILE FRANCIS W AVENTURA II, registration: N932MCInjuries: 1 Minor.This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.On July 9, 2016, about 1542 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Aventura II, N932MC, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while on approach to a private airfield in Pittsfield, Maine. The pilot/owner sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed for the flight that departed the private airfield about 1535.The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to perform a functional test of the retractable landing gear. He said he started the engine and taxied for about 10 minutes before he departed. The takeoff was normal and the pilot made a left turn to stay in the traffic pattern and climbed to an altitude of about 200 feet. The pilot said that when he was making the turn toward the final approach leg of the traffic pattern, he noticed the controls were very stiff when he tried to roll level. He needed two hands to move the control wheel. The pilot also noticed that he was descending and was unable to avoid trees off the side of the runway. The airplane struck the trees and impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude.A review of photographs taken by law enforcement revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.Two witnesses reported that the engine stopped producing power prior to the airplane impacting the trees. The pilot said he was wearing a full size helmet and was unaware that the engine had failed and was focused on trying to level the airplane.The airplane and engine were recovered for further examination.